Effect of Synbiotics on Hygienic Quality of Feed and Pork

The study aimed to determine the effect of newly developed multi-strain synbiotics on the hygienic quality of feed for pigs and pork edible raw materials originating from animals supplemented with synbiotics. The trial was conducted on 54 feed samples and 54 pigs. Animals were divided into six groups corresponding to three synbiotic preparations (A, B, C), two positive controls with probiotics (D, E), and a negative control (K) with no feed additive. The supplementation of the sow's basal diet with the feed additive started 10 days before farrowing and continued for 38 days, covering the lactation period. The diet of piglets from groups A-E was supplemented with the feed additive starting from two weeks of age until slaughter at 24 weeks of age. Feed and animal raw materials were tested for the presence of <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Campylobacter</i> spp., <i>L. monocytogenes</i>, <i>Clostridium</i> spp., <i>C. perfringens</i>, <i>C. botulinum</i>, and the count of AMB, TPC, fungi, ASFB, <i>C. perfringens</i>, Enterobacteriaceae family, <i>E. coli</i>, presumptive <i>B. cereus</i>, CoPS, HS, LAB, yeast probiotic strains, and <i>Enterococcus</i> spp. Statistically significant differences were found between individual groups in the count of <i>C. perfringens</i>, AMB, TPC, <i>Enterococcus</i> spp., and LAB in all feeds tested. Moreover, synbiotics A, B, and C lowered the count of AMB, TPC, and LAB, and synbiotics A and C decreased Enterobacteriaceae family contamination in both total raw materials as well as raw materials of fatteners. The higher effectiveness of synbiotics was associated with a higher number of probiotic strains in one preparation. Our study found that dietary supplementation of synbiotics alters the occurrence of <i>C. perfringens</i> in feed and enhances the hygienic quality of edible pork raw materials.